I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4050 

To provide for the identification of certain dangerous railroad locations, and 

for the safety of passenger operations at such locations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2015 

Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To provide for the identification of certain dangerous railroad 

locations, and for the safety of passenger operations at 

such locations. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Passenger Train De5 railment Prevention Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DANGEROUS RAILROAD LOCATIONS. 

7 (a) AMENDMENT.—Subchapter II of chapter 201 of 

8 title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

9 end the following new section: 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4050 IH

1 ‘‘§ 20168. Dangerous railroad locations. 

2 ‘‘(a) IDENTIFICATION.—Not later than 90 days after 

3 the date of enactment of the Passenger Train Derailment 

4 Prevention Act, each railroad carrier on whose tracks an 

5 entity providing regularly scheduled intercity rail pas6 senger transportation or commuter rail passenger trans7 portation, as defined in section 24102, conducts such 

8 transportation shall submit to the Secretary of Transpor9 tation a list identifying each curve, bridge, tunnel, or other 

10 location on such tracks where the maximum authorized 

11 operating speed for such a passenger train is at least 20 

12 miles per hour less than the maximum approach speed. 

13 The Secretary shall provide such information to the Com14 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 

15 of Representatives and Committee on Commerce, Science, 

16 and Transportation of the Senate, along with a list of any 

17 additional track locations the Secretary identifies as dan18 gerous. 

19 ‘‘(b) SAFETY REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 

20 days after the date of enactment of the Passenger Train 

21 Derailment Prevention Act, the Secretary shall exercise 

22 the authority granted under section 20104 to require that, 

23 not later than 90 days after the exercise of such author24 ity— 

25 ‘‘(1) each entity providing regularly scheduled 

26 intercity rail passenger transportation or commuter 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4050 IH

1 rail passenger transportation, as defined in section 

2 24102, using a train equipped with an automatic 

3 train control system modify such system to auto4 matically slow down the train if it fails to comply 

5 with applicable maximum authorized speed limits at 

6 the locations identified under subsection (a); 

7 ‘‘(2) each entity providing regularly scheduled 

8 intercity rail passenger transportation or commuter 

9 rail passenger transportation, as defined in section 

10 24102, using a train not equipped with an automatic 

11 train control system provide that the train move12 ment through the locations identified under sub13 section (a) be made— 

14 ‘‘(A) with a second qualified crewmember 

15 in the cab of the controlling locomotive; or 

16 ‘‘(B) with constant communication between 

17 the locomotive engineer and an additional quali18 fied and designated crewmember in the body of 

19 the train; and 

20 ‘‘(3) each railroad carrier on whose tracks regu21 larly scheduled intercity rail passenger transpor22 tation or commuter rail passenger transportation is 

23 conducted install additional wayside signage along 

24 the carrier’s tracks where such transportation is 

25 conducted alerting engineers and conductors of the 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4050 IH

1 maximum authorized passenger train speed, particu2 larly at the locations identified under subsection (a). 

3 ‘‘(c) ALTERNATIVE SAFETY MEASURES.—The Sec4 retary may exempt from the requirements of this section 

5 any segment of track for which operations are governed 

6 by a positive train control system certified under section 

7 20157 or any other safety technology or practice that 

8 would achieve an equivalent or greater level of safety in 

9 reducing derailment risk.’’. 

10 (b) TABLE OF SECTIONS AMENDMENT.—The table of 

11 sections for subchapter II of chapter 201 of title 49, 

12 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

13 following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 20168. Dangerous railroad locations.’’. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS